MACK BOLAN THE EXECUTIONER #3

“War Against the Mafia Part 3”

Writers: Don & Linda Pendleton adapted from his novel.

Artists: Sandu Florea and Mike Deodato, Sr.

Mack Bolan continues his war against the Mafia. He starts with their loan shark operation. Posing as someone important he enters the place as an auditor. He takes half a million and burns the records. The he goes after Leo Turrin but gets wounded by Turrin’s wife. He manages to find shelter with a woman who lives alone and decides to help him. She takes care of his wounds and shelters him from the police. The mob is really going after Bolan after his attempted assassination of the head capo.

The third issue is another excellent adaptation of the novel. Unfortunately, what was to be a four-part series ends with this issue. Innovation went bankrupt and we never did get the final issue. That was a shame since with Don writing it was a very faithful adaptation. There were plans to continue adapting his books. While the comic readers don’t get an ending, I would highly recommend reading the book. It is easily available after all these years and still a fun read.

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MACK BOLAN THE EXECUTIONER #2

“War Against the Mafia-Part 2”

Writers: Don & Linda Pendleton adapting his novel.

Artists: Sandu Florea and Mike Deodato, Jr.

Mack Bolan has infiltrated the mob. He is assigned to Leo Turrin who runs the prostitution segment for the Organization. He gets shown around and shown the big computer that runs the place. Later a police sergeant comes and warns Bolan that the mob is on to him. They put out a contract on Bolan. Bolan thanks him and sets up an ambush at his place. He kills the assassins. Then he goes and burns down the whorehouse. He goes to the head capo’s house and kills his guards and leaves a message that Bolan is out to get him.

Don does a really good job of adapting his book. It follows the novel closely. He was really ahead of his time by knowing about computers back in 1969. A real tightly plotted story that delivers on excitement and action. The artists that drew this book are also top notch.

MACK BOLAN THE EXECUTIONER #1

“War Against the Mafia”

Writers: Don and Linda Pendleton adapted from his novel.

Artists: Sandu Florea and Mike Deodato Sr.

Master sergeant Mack Bolan is a soldier in Vietnam. He is known as the Executioner because of the high confirmed kills of Viet Cong officials. One day he gets news that his father killed his mother and sister before killing himself. His young brother is wounded but still alive. Going home he finds out his father was in debt to the mob. When he found out his daughter was prostituting herself to pay his debts off, he went nuts. Deciding the enemy was at home instead of Vietnam, he embarks on a one-man war against the mafia. He assassinates the guys who loaned his father the money. Bolan then infiltrates the mob to take them down from the inside.

The Executioner has to be the most successful men’s adventure series of all time. It spawned legions of imitators and is responsible for the vigilante genre. It is only natural that he would make his debut in the comics. Innovation managed to get Don and his wife to actually script the comic. It is a very accurate adaptation to this book. I recently started reading the series and found it to be excellent. I can’t recommend it enough.

LUCIFER’S HAMMER #2

“Hammer Fever”

Writer: Terry Colins adapted from novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Artist: Roger Vilela

The shuttle Discovery launches with its mixed American and Russian crew. They get a good look at the approaching comet and the computer data indicates it has a high probability of hitting the Earth. On the Earth everyone is preparing for the worse. Buying supplies and heading for the hills. Which is a good thing for the comet does hit. Hammerfall creates massive tidal waves, hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes. The Earth is seriously damaged, and civilization destroyed.

The second comic is unfortunately the final one. What was supposed to be a six issue run ends thanks to the big comic book bubble burst of the nineties. Innovation went belly up and no more adaptation. That is a shame since I enjoyed what they were doing. The art was even getting better. Innovation at the time had the fourth largest market share after DC, Marvel and Dark Horse. So, they must have been doing something right. If anything, this has got me interested in reading what is the greatest disaster book in history. Maybe someday someone will give this novel the proper graphic treatment it deserves.

LUCIFER’S HAMMER #1

“The Anvil”

Writer: Terry Collins adapted from novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Artist: Roger Vilela

Two amateur astronomers discover a comet. It is named Hamner-Brown after them. Hamner is a rich millionaire and with a powerful senator starts to lobby to get a mission to examine it. He funds a documentary and goes on the Tonight Show. Johnny Carson accidentally calls it Hammer’s comet when talking about the possibility of it hitting the Earth. A fundamentalist preacher starts calling it the Hammer of God and that it will hit to punish society. Hamner continues his publicity to get the space mission that will go with two Russian cosmonauts. The senator meanwhile decides to play it safe and start stockpiling survival supplies on his California ranch.

Lucifer’s Hammer is the best doomsday novel that was ever written. I love this book and Innovation has done a good job of adapting it. The writer decided to set it in contemporary 1992 but otherwise faithfully adapt it. I remember many of the scenes like the explanation of comparing it to a hot fudge sundae when explaining to the public. Or how the senator admonishes his aid for not buying American four-wheel drives. He has to keep up appearances for political reasons if the comet doesn’t hit. The only complaint I have is the artwork. It is very sketchy and undefined. Not a big fan of it but otherwise a fine start to adapting one of my favorite novels.